Welcome to Round 3! Let’s take a look at what happened to 8 more Duelists who were undefeated up until this point in the tournament!

At Table 1, Jacob Taylor used his Scrap Deck to defeat Jeffrey Harrison’s Anti-Monster Jurrac Deck in a close 2-1 victory.

In Duel 1, Harrison only drew 2 monsters the entire Duel, and Taylor took both of them with the same Tragoedia. He discarded Scrap Beast to take a Thunder King Rai-Oh and discarded Spirit Reaper to take a Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind on the following turn. Without monsters, Harrison just couldn’t pull off a victory in the first Duel.

In Duel 2, Harrison slowly defeated all of Taylor’s monsters, and then beat Taylor down with his Jurracs. Like Harrison in the previous game, Taylor couldn’t retaliate without monsters.

In Duel 3, a key play by Harrison cost him the Duel. “I should’ve Solemn Warninged the Thunder King,” he told me. After choosing not to use Solemn Warning against the Rai-Oh, Harrison struggled to defeat it. “I couldn’t Xyz Summon because he would’ve negated it,” he told me. Harrison eventually got beaten down by Thunder King Rai-Oh, until he lost the Duel. Harrison thought he’d be able to handle the Rai-Oh with his face-down Dimensional Prison, but Taylor activated Heavy Storm to clear his back row and leave him defenseless. Harrison’s play may not have worked out for him, but his choice to save the Solemn Warning for a bigger monster, while counting on his other face-down Trap Cards to protect him from the newly Summoned Rai-Oh, was a sound decision.

At Table 2, John Nepomuceno Gravekeeper’s Deck (with 3 Jurrac Guaiba) beat Joshua Snyder’s Agents Deck 2-1.

In Duel 1, Nepomuceno used Royal Tribute first turn to knock 4 cards out of Snyder’s hand. Snyder almost mounted a comeback by topdecking The Agent of Creation – Venus, but eventually lost when Nepomuceno used Compulsory Evacuation Device to return Wind-Up Zenmaines to Snyder’s Extra Deck later in the Duel. As monsters with built-in protection like Wind-Up Zenmaines, Gachi Gachi Gantetsu, and Number 12: Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja gain popularity, Compulsory Evacuation Device becomes more powerful for its ability to get rid of monsters that are otherwise tough to rid from the field.

In Duel 2, Snyder opened up with Venus and Summoned Gachi Gachi Gantetsu on his first turn. He later Summoned another Gachi, and was able to attack over a Malefic Stardust Dragon with his 2600 ATK Leviair the Sea Dragon, boosted by both Gachis. At the end of the Duel, Snyder Summoned 2 Master Hyperions to win. There was nothing Nepomuceno could do about it.

In Duel 3, Nepomuceno knocked 3 cards from Snyder’s hand with Royal Tribute early in the Duel. Snyder came back by Summoning Gachi Gachi Gantetsu, Archlord Kristya, and Ally of Justice Catastor to the field. But when Archlord Kristya and Ally of Justice Catastor tried to attack, Nepomuceno used Mirror Force to destroy 2 of Snyder’s strongest monsters. It was a huge setback to Snyder, but he still wasn’t out of the Duel. He almost reclaimed the victory after Special Summoning Master Hyperion later on; but once Nepomuceno activated Dark Hole to destroy the Hyperion, his chances of winning were shattered.

Snyder used Book of Moon to rid his Archlord Kristya of a Fiendish Chain in Duel 3, in order to let it attack; but that’s when it got hit by Mirror Force. After the Match, Snyder said that he regrets using the Book of Moon the way he did, because it ended up being wasted on a monster that was destroyed without mounting a successful attack. Snyder just couldn’t resist the temptation of trying to use Kristya for a Duel-ending attack.

At Table 3, Adam Brashears’s defeated Shaun Rodriguez 2-1 in an Inzektor Mirror-Match!

In Duel 1, Brashears pulled off his Inzektor combo before Rodriguez, destroying Rodriguez’s field early on while taking a speedy victory.

In Duel 2, Rodriguez opened up with 2 Effect Veilers and used them to stop the effects of Inzektor Centipede and Inzektor Dragonfly. This left Brashears in the dust, as Rodriguez used his own Inzektor monsters, whose effects went off uncountered.

Brashear Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh in Duel 2 after using Compulsory Evacuation Device to return Rodriguez’s Wind-Up Zenmaines to the Extra Deck. Rodriguez never drew Inzektor Hornet, so he was unable to destroy Rai-Oh.

When I asked the Duelists if there was anything they wish they had done differently, Rodriguez answered, “Side Deck wise, I would’ve added in Rykos, so I could’ve had the Hornets.” Inzektor Hornet is key to the Inzektor Deck, so it’s important to draw it or get it into the Graveyard early on. Ryko’s effect, which sends 3 cards from the top of the Deck to the Graveyard when it’s flipped, can help get Hornet into the Graveyard. Rodriguez also said he wishes he Side Decked Snowman Eater, which he could use to destroy Thunder King Rai-Oh and any other big attack monster.

At Table 4, Cairio Gregoire’s Inzektors beat Brent Yetter’s Wind-Ups in a 2-1 victory.

In Duel 1, Yetter dominated the Duel with Gorz and 2 Wind-Up Rabbits. Gregoire had no answer to his monsters. All tournament long, it looks like players are struggling to get rid of their opponents’ Wind-Up Rabbits.

In Duel 2, Gregoire used his Inzektors to beat Yetter in a matter of turns. Weak draws for Yetter made it an easy win for Gregoire.

In Duel 3, Yetter pulled off the Wind-Up Hunter loop, leaving Gregoire with nothing more than a face-down Sangan. He attacked the Sangan next, allowing Gregoire to get an Inzektor Dragonfly from his Deck. Next turn, Gregoire drew a Hornet. He Summoned Dragonfly and used its effect. Yetter Chained D.D. Crow from his hand to banish the Hornet from Gregoire’s Graveyard, thinking he was safe; but Gregoire instead attached the Hornet he had just drawn! From there, he managed to win the Duel. Keep in mind that Inzektor monsters don’t target the Insect they’re trying to equip, and that the Insect can be attached from the hand or Graveyard. This important rule was critical for Gregoire’s victory in Duel 3.

Jacob Taylor, John Nepomuceno, Adam Brashears, and Cairio Gregoire are moving on in the tournament with undefeated records!